State legislator recalls meeting Billy Graham in Columbia

The late Billy Graham is being remembered throughout South Carolina after his death at 99 years old was announced Wednesday.

Sen. Tom Alexander. SCETV image.

On the Senate floor Wednesday, State Sen. Tom Alexander R-Oconee, recalled meeting Graham while serving in the House in 1987.

“Dr. Graham addressed a joint assembly of this state legislature while he was here,” he said on the Senate floor Wednesday. “It’s probably been one of the highlights of my times of different joint assemblies. And after that having the privilege of meeting Dr. Graham.”

At the time, Graham was holding a crusade in Columbia. “Several of those nights when I was in Columbia I went to those crusades,” Alexander said. “It just demonstrates the impact he had locally and around the world.”

The 99-year-old evangelist had been a member of Spartanburg’s First Baptist Church in the last decade. The church’s pastor Donald Wilton was a friend of Graham’s and became his personal pastor for the past decade.

“This moment in time is the fulfillment of Mr. Graham’s life time ministry centered around the eternal life we have in the Lord Jesus Christ,” the church said in a statement. “We are all joining together in expressing our love to the Graham family even as we thank God for the incredible life of Dr. Billy Graham.”

The church said funeral arrangements will soon be announced to the public.